Retirees choosing between food and medication — Skelton
Territorial At-Large Representative Ronnie Skelton has sounded the alarm about the economic hardship facing many Virgin Islands retirees, stating that some seniors are being forced to choose between food and vital medication due to stagnant pensions and rising living costs.
Skelton made the statement during a recent episode of NDP Radio, where he and fellow National Democratic Party members addressed ongoing socio-economic issues in the territory.
Skelton explained that the cost of living is outpacing what pensioners are receiving, and that rising food prices and out-of-pocket costs for medication are severely straining the finances of elderly persons—especially when government-supplied prescriptions are unavailable at public facilities.
“There’s something that is bothering me in terms of the retirees,” Skelton stated. “They have to make decisions whether they must buy their medication or eat food,” the Opposition legislator stated.
Skelton claimed that the issue is compounded by the perception that there’s no solution “in the pipeline” to adjust pension payments to account for inflation or cost-of-living increases.
Eighth District Representative Marlon Penn echoed Skelton’s concerns and said the government’s current approach to social support has become bogged down in red tape.
“The reality is that it is too bureaucratic. The process takes too long to get support to individuals and by the time the support gets to individuals, the people are frustrated, they’ve given up,” he stated.
A caller to the programme recounted a conversation with a disabled, elderly woman who said she avoided applying for assistance again because of how long it took to get help the first time. Penn responded by saying elected officials had previously been given stipends to assist residents directly, but these were removed after the Commission of Inquiry (COI) reforms.
Skelton criticised this change, saying that while the system wasn’t perfect, it had allowed for faster, more responsive assistance. “What people do, they look at the bad part of everything. The good that these systems were doing, they just scrap them,” he argued.
He called for the government to make urgent policy changes to strengthen social support, improve pension systems, and ensure retirees are not left behind. “We need to look at a lot of this stuff in a holistic way and get the help to the people that need it,” Skelton stated.
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As a citizen I hate nothing more than my intelligence being insulted especially by politicians. Penn is lamenting that the money that was given to elected officials to assist people were taken away because of the COI and now people are having a hard time. Skelton is also saying the same thing.
In the 2019 elections it was SKELTON himself who was advocating for that same money to be taken away from representatives and given to Social Development. Now they are singing a different song because it is convenient.
We all do not have sharing memories.
These people, including Skeletor, specialize in identifying problems. What are his viable and sustainable solutions? Silence
These same politicians gave themselves a raise after the district monies was taken away, their argument was that they need to have extra money to give to constituents. So where is the extra money on salary now going if not to the people who approach them in their districts, or at large?
These politicians are like sponges on the tax payers dime, never getting enough.
he has not retracted the statement, but the process within social development needs to be handled in a way so that the help can get to people efficiently. Why does it have to take so long for help to come out of Social Development; that’s the question that needs to be answered.
Salary was upgrades and pensioners left on the back burner.
A country that dose not take care of its Elderly is NO GOoD COUNTRY. This speaks volume of the leadership
Of the time
However, we should not be too surprised. See where the father of oit Premier is currently living
Shame on this government
While thousands go back into thr treasury grom Social Development.
The UK can implement as much changes as they like .. They will not have enoigh eyes to stop the underneath and underhand activities
Whethet tiu want to label it corruption or illegal
S!0wW@nde is terrible with math and writing his own speech’s. What he doing as Finance Minister. All he can do is read speeches “prepared” by his over priced advisors. They themselves can’t write a good speech. All they do is use ChatGPT all day. S!0wW@nde lose his breath the other night reading one of these long winded and unhelpful speech’s during his territory address. I was in the crowd and can say that everybody needed some extra coffee to stay awake
But he bee quiet on minimum wage scandal. When the opposition going to start asking more.
I have no respect for this man. He is the reason why the NDP got destroyed and we ended up with Andrew Fahie to lead us down this road. If you lose an election you cannot get up
and turn off. That show you have a very bad mind.
Now all of a sudden it is convenient to go back to NDP now because you lost the leader of the opposition and he see a chance for him to come the leader there because Marlon is weak. Then he pretends that he is not power hungry. He said he is a team player. Only once he is in charge he is a team player.
I think that the member for the 6th was more of the reason why. many love him but not as Premier and this has nothing to do with his birth lineage. He speaks good though and there were many before him and with him now who can speak. So it happened with the member for the 3rd, so it happened with the member for the 6th and so it will happen again. Why split up numbers since this government must go?
It’s amazing how we come up with these narratives. Ronnie ran as a head of a party two times and lost. Marlon ran as the head of a party one time and lost. What is difference with Myron who has much more national appeal than both of them? And the truth is NDP under Myron in 2019 would have one had it not been for badminded Ronnie going to form a party because he lost the party elections. So how is it that you come up with people not wanting Myron as premier but they want Ronnie who they rejected not once but twice and when both Myron and Ronnie ran for leadership in 2019 general elections on different parties Myron received far more votes than Ronnie like he has always received in every election. If Marlon ran at large he wouldn’t even get back his deposit.
We need to startvto look at stats and stop just talking based on our biases. Myron is more electable nationally than Skelton. Check the election results from 2011, 2015, 2019 Myron beat Skelton by a lot of votes in each one.
I’m in agreement look at the stats. Myron care more about the retirees/seniors than either Marlon, The Promoter and Ronnie. Skelton talk so much about Spooners and the Seniors Home and once he lost the election the convo stopped. He could have go to a bank or SS and got a loan to start it. If you have a passion keep at it dont let your political status change it. As for the The Promoter he is Trump have conversations at night they marching to same beat sadly.
First of all the COI addressed the issue of substance because it wasn’t working under the previous system as members of HOA were giving who they wanted to give assistance their friends and cronies a lot of which had jobs and lots of money rather than evaluating who needed it most. Under the social development department nothing has changed as Natalio the accidental premier still determines who he wants to be compensated from the program the same friends and cronies. Word on the street is that he determines what money is spent and the remaining money is sent back to the treasury.
Ronnie you were voted to look out for the people but since you started renting your building to the government you came down with a severe case of lock jaw. You can’t empathize with seniors facing hardship as you were born with a golden spoon in your mouth. If you cared so much why didn’t you speak up when the members of HOA received a raise and the seniors were neglected. Also you are the one who orchestrated the NHI program which will bankrupt this country. What is ironic is that if you search NHI on Wikipedia it says the program was set up because government was paying $7 million dollars to assist people who did not have insurance but fast forward today when NHI is subsidized by the government at an amount in excess of $42 million per year. Didn’t it make more sense to keep the system the way it was now we wouldn’t be crying crocodile tears about the tough decisions that seniors have to make between food and health. If we didn’t implement NHI in the first place we wouldn’t have to pay these exorbitant rates and we wouldn’t all have to to suffer while h* and the other health care providers live the life off the backs of the struggling people of this territory.
Attention Governor Pruce there needs to be a review of the system at social development as the politicans still have full control of the program and do nothing in the interest of poor people in this territory. Maybe it should be independently managed by governors office.
the skelton group of companies can do without the Rent. Renters are checking every month. Ask your Government to finish fix the complex so that the departments can move out, and so that we can rent to other prospects. Skelton group of managers are business-minded people and will not keep silent over fear of losing tenants that government approached the company to house. check your facts.
Why don’t you make a donation towards the elderly. Seems that you don’t do charity…
Did you approach them? Skelton group of companies have been sponsors for many years for many things and the records are there. The problem is though, people like you encourage waste and then expect businesses to pick up the waste Governments create as opposed to pressing Government to stop wasting tax payers money. Did you press against Kartel? are you pressing against some travel that could be done via Zoom or Webex? are you pressing against the waste being created on projects that should be handled better? what about the hourly rate of pay? and more and more and more……….
He only looking votes. He don’t care about nobody. I ain’t see him once in my area since election. Waste of time
and the others aren’t? Strupes
Good try. we know that skelton sees beyond party lines.
Hon. Skeleton talking facts , the seniors out here starving because of those workers in social development . The system makes it so difficult for people to get help while sending millions back in the treasury every year . Please help the poor people.
Mumble, jumble and fake empathy spills out the is self-serving and entitled wannabe aristocrat. Speaking the obvious is clearly a skill mastered by RS. It is all about power and who controls this perception. Boss since skeletor group of companies is so great – then bow out of politics (y’all family/managers should tell him so) and go run that ship.
Not my vote ever again pardna. You just been collecting government paychecks and under-performing for decades! As your ‘managers’ here have stated, your focus can best be served up Fish Bay!! Get out the way!!!
is health care not free in the BVI after the age of 70? Due to the fact that anyone one over that age visiting from the UK is entitilted to free health care due to a reciprocal agreement. So if your over 70 and need medical attention visit the UK.
When he first got elected he was cussing Ralph and calling him old saying that he need to go home. Now he is older than Ralph was at the time and he still here scooping Premiership with his lazy, can’t talk, bad minded ENTITLED self.
But tis true. Hon oneal use to appear like he sleeping. Don’t worry Ronnie more for you and Marlon than against
Skelton group can build a high end retirement facility, the elderly can downgrade from their big homes on the hill to the facility. refresh the housing market and services industry.
I relate with this issue directly.
Now a retired educator, i felt the pain of insufficient funds during employment activity, and am experiencing them even more so post employment.
The major existential issue is surviving in a system that feeds on greed, excess profits and continuous gouging.
While on the other hand, trying to get by on a monthly income/pension becomes more and more ineficient and unlivable.
Indeed, with each trip to the doctor’s office, super market, pharmacy, transportation or other, the pain is excrciating.
The pain becomes more insidious when one realizes that all his sacrifices, professional dedication to community, career students all have no reciprocal benefits.
In short, there is a need for an immediate accounting of seniors, their level of suffering and deprevations.
As, many endure much hardshipe, here and overseas while seeking basic medical and other critical interventions.
Many, when seeking assistance through their community elected representative are simply, hands tied or not, sent on to agencies that ignore them and help less than help.
Indeed, when the current law makers arrive at age of the current retirees, it is hoped that they will feel the pain of us current retirees, but more than likely not as they have secured a wealthy pay check and retirement salary upon their first year in office.
Ronnie don’t care about a soul but his family so you all could stay there let him fool ayo just because he want to hold on to power. All of a sudden he doing all kind of things because he got moved as opposition leader. Why he wasn’t doing them before?
He is now talking because he needs the relevancy. A great businessman but not a great politician.
I wonder if Ronnie didn’t have so much wealth if we will say the same thing,to me most of you all sounds jealous
Not everyone who we claim are ‘rich’ are heartless. Ronnie is far from being heartless.
Each district now has an official office. Allocate the money to the district where people may feel more comfortable to request assistance. Of course within reason and following proper protocol.